Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. This decently modern story is set mostly in the Westside, where Brenda grew up. This story illustrates Brenda’s childhood and how she grew up and where she went and ended up by the end of the story (back at the Westside). Brenda, the main character, describes her neighborhood as being an island “surrounded by the 405, the 710, the L.A. County Flood control, and the Carson oil fields.” The main characters include Brenda, the storyteller, and her childhood boyfriend, Kali, her family (mom, dad, and siblings), her two friends Sherry and Steven (who are dating at one point in the story), Aunti Mary (Kali’s mom), Judy (Brenda’s teacher), and a few other characters including Smoke (Kali’s friend and later Sherry’s significant other) and the rest of Kali’s friends and Brenda’s friends. We are also introduced to some of Brenda’s students later in the story when she travels back to the Westside to teach at her old high school.
What is the intrusion? I believe the intrusion is when Brenda gets out of the fantasy she’s kind of been living in and realizes how different Kali is and how their futures just don’t add up. Specifically, I think the scene when she asks Kali to pronounce “water” is really when she realizes that she and Kali are on two different paths and what may not have bothered her before bothers her now. I believe another intrusion would be when Kali and Brenda are talking and her ideas for the future include going to college and Kali expected them to get married.
What is the unique factor? This is the day Brenda tells us her life story. She starts with her childhood that seemed so easy, simple, and happy and ends by telling us where she ended up by the end of the play.
What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? I believe the dramatic question, from a romantic standpoint, is do Kali and Brenda end up together or does Brenda leave the Westside to go off to college and make a new life for herself as she proclaims to Kali in the middle of the story. We find out that Brenda, in fact, did go to college but never finished and ended up back in the Westside teaching the same class Kali had been in years ago. Kali ends up in a lot of legal trouble and the two never fully end back up together before he is shot at the end of the story.
Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it. The first type of exposition, when only one character knows something, could be illustrated by Hai when she realizes her true love for Brenda though never admits it to Brenda until much later in the story. This explains how their friendship persisted through the story. It could also explain some about why she freaked out when Kali came in to fight over Brenda. It also explains why Hai was always there for Brenda whenever she needed someone. I think this makes Brenda explore a more masculine lifestyle with Hai and explore the possibility of being with another woman. The second exposition, when everyone knows something, would be the struggle Brenda faces trying to fit into two opposite social groups. We really see her struggle during the riot at the school when she can’t pick a side. This struggle for Brenda continues to persist throughout the play. She is trying to find out who she is but is torn between two lives.
Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. I think the most theatrical moment in the play is the ending when the shoot out proceeds. Brenda and Kali go back and forth between being together and splitting up and this is the part of the story that finally ends the two. Also, it is where we see the relevance of the title and how Aunti Mary’s roses become a symbol of blood.
List some of the themes of the play. Some themes would be diversity, oppression, family, inclusion, gangs, struggle to find oneself, and unfortunately, death.
What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants? At the beginning of the play, Brenda just wants to be with her family and Kali and continue living her simple, happy childhood. However, throughout the play we see she builds up a want, and to some extent a need, to leave and go to college and start a new life. Then, towards the end of the play she realizes she wants to be with Kali but thinks he’s in too much trouble. Some obstacles she faces would be against Kali when she just wants him to be more educated and intelligent. I think she believes if he were as advanced as she, they could be together. Next, an obstacle she faces against society would be when her teacher, Judy, tells her to be friends with Hai, the new F.O.B. just because they were similar ethnicities. This shows how stereotypes and oppression in society persisted through her childhood. We also see this when Sherry tells Brenda not to mention where she is from to Sherry’s parents. However, her biggest struggle is against herself when she can’t decide what she wants or where she fits in. We see this in the riot and later in life when she drops out of college, where she thought she wanted to be earlier in the story, and moves back to the Westside. By the end of the play she explains that the Westside will always be a part of her and she can’t run away from that. I don’t think we see any obstacles against a higher power in this story.
Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play. The first image would be Aunti Mary’s beautiful roses. At the end of the play, we see how the roses end up symbolizing blood at the shootout. They turn from being something beautiful to something terrible. Other images could be Steven’s ring and Smoke writing on Brenda’s hand. These images represent Brenda being torn between two social groups and trying to find where she fits in. Lastly, the cage represents an image because it shows the struggle between Kali and his best friend Smoke. Kali was left in prison and ratted out his friend, Smoke, because they never came to break Kali out. This is what leads to the shootout at the end of the play.
Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play. There are many types of relationships explored in the play. The most obvious family relationship would be Brenda and her family. While they go through a rough patch in the middle of the play when Brenda is trying to find herself, they end up mending things by the end of the play. Another “family” would be Kali and his friends or Bullet and his boys. They never explicitly say that these are gangs, but the reader can interpret that these groups of boys are, in fact, gang members. Though this is a twisted way to interpret family, Bullet, Kali, and Smoke all explain that their fellow gang members are their “homeboys” and they can’t live without each other. They are supposed to have each other’s backs.
This decently modern story is set mostly in the Westside, where Brenda grew up. This story illustrates Brenda’s childhood and how she grew up and where she went and ended up by the end of the story (back at the Westside). Brenda, the main character, describes her neighborhood as being an island “surrounded by the 405, the 710, the L.A. County Flood control, and the Carson oil fields.” The main characters include Brenda, the storyteller, and her childhood boyfriend, Kali, her family (mom, dad, and siblings), her two friends Sherry and Steven (who are dating at one point in the story), Aunti Mary (Kali’s mom), Judy (Brenda’s teacher), and a few other characters including Smoke (Kali’s friend and later Sherry’s significant other) and the rest of Kali’s friends and Brenda’s friends. We are also introduced to some of Brenda’s students later in the story when she travels back to the Westside to teach at her old high school.
What is the intrusion?
I believe the intrusion is when Brenda gets out of the fantasy she’s kind of been living in and realizes how different Kali is and how their futures just don’t add up. Specifically, I think the scene when she asks Kali to pronounce “water” is really when she realizes that she and Kali are on two different paths and what may not have bothered her before bothers her now. I believe another intrusion would be when Kali and Brenda are talking and her ideas for the future include going to college and Kali expected them to get married.
What is the unique factor?
This is the day Brenda tells us her life story. She starts with her childhood that seemed so easy, simple, and happy and ends by telling us where she ended up by the end of the play.
What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
I believe the dramatic question, from a romantic standpoint, is do Kali and Brenda end up together or does Brenda leave the Westside to go off to college and make a new life for herself as she proclaims to Kali in the middle of the story. We find out that Brenda, in fact, did go to college but never finished and ended up back in the Westside teaching the same class Kali had been in years ago. Kali ends up in a lot of legal trouble and the two never fully end back up together before he is shot at the end of the story.
Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
The first type of exposition, when only one character knows something, could be illustrated by Hai when she realizes her true love for Brenda though never admits it to Brenda until much later in the story. This explains how their friendship persisted through the story. It could also explain some about why she freaked out when Kali came in to fight over Brenda. It also explains why Hai was always there for Brenda whenever she needed someone. I think this makes Brenda explore a more masculine lifestyle with Hai and explore the possibility of being with another woman. The second exposition, when everyone knows something, would be the struggle Brenda faces trying to fit into two opposite social groups. We really see her struggle during the riot at the school when she can’t pick a side. This struggle for Brenda continues to persist throughout the play. She is trying to find out who she is but is torn between two lives.
Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
I think the most theatrical moment in the play is the ending when the shoot out proceeds. Brenda and Kali go back and forth between being together and splitting up and this is the part of the story that finally ends the two. Also, it is where we see the relevance of the title and how Aunti Mary’s roses become a symbol of blood.
List some of the themes of the play.
Some themes would be diversity, oppression, family, inclusion, gangs, struggle to find oneself, and unfortunately, death.
What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
At the beginning of the play, Brenda just wants to be with her family and Kali and continue living her simple, happy childhood. However, throughout the play we see she builds up a want, and to some extent a need, to leave and go to college and start a new life. Then, towards the end of the play she realizes she wants to be with Kali but thinks he’s in too much trouble. Some obstacles she faces would be against Kali when she just wants him to be more educated and intelligent. I think she believes if he were as advanced as she, they could be together. Next, an obstacle she faces against society would be when her teacher, Judy, tells her to be friends with Hai, the new F.O.B. just because they were similar ethnicities. This shows how stereotypes and oppression in society persisted through her childhood. We also see this when Sherry tells Brenda not to mention where she is from to Sherry’s parents. However, her biggest struggle is against herself when she can’t decide what she wants or where she fits in. We see this in the riot and later in life when she drops out of college, where she thought she wanted to be earlier in the story, and moves back to the Westside. By the end of the play she explains that the Westside will always be a part of her and she can’t run away from that. I don’t think we see any obstacles against a higher power in this story.
Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The first image would be Aunti Mary’s beautiful roses. At the end of the play, we see how the roses end up symbolizing blood at the shootout. They turn from being something beautiful to something terrible. Other images could be Steven’s ring and Smoke writing on Brenda’s hand. These images represent Brenda being torn between two social groups and trying to find where she fits in. Lastly, the cage represents an image because it shows the struggle between Kali and his best friend Smoke. Kali was left in prison and ratted out his friend, Smoke, because they never came to break Kali out. This is what leads to the shootout at the end of the play.
Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
There are many types of relationships explored in the play. The most obvious family relationship would be Brenda and her family. While they go through a rough patch in the middle of the play when Brenda is trying to find herself, they end up mending things by the end of the play. Another “family” would be Kali and his friends or Bullet and his boys. They never explicitly say that these are gangs, but the reader can interpret that these groups of boys are, in fact, gang members. Though this is a twisted way to interpret family, Bullet, Kali, and Smoke all explain that their fellow gang members are their “homeboys” and they can’t live without each other. They are supposed to have each other’s backs.